Maratha activists have slammed the government for “playing with sentiments of their community” and termed it “worse than the British empire”.
On Friday, the Mumbai police gave Manoj Jarange a day’s extension for his protest at Azad Maidan. Immediately after this development, Jarange said, “We have decided not to leave Mumbai and abandon this spot until the Marathas receive a reservation. So either give us what we are demanding, or give us permission to protest until our demands are met.”
The police had initially given protesters permission to protest from 9 am to 6 pm on August 29, but, on the same day, Maratha activists applied for an extension.
Addressing the crowd at Azad Maidan late on Friday evening, Jarange alleged that arrangements had been made for public toilets near the protest site, but they were locked. He claimed that even eateries near the protest site were asked to down their shutters. “Marathas entered Mumbai and showed what they can do. But the moment the administration brought certain problems to our attention, the protesters immediately addressed these issues. I don`t understand the motive behind not providing drinking water, and shutting toilets and eateries. What kind of treatment is this?” Jarange asked.
“I knew they [the government] would behave worse than the British empire and make an attempt to harass us in Mumbai,” he added.
However, the Maratha activist urged those who came out in support of the cause to be patient and maintain peace. “You can put me behind bars, fire a bullet at me… but I am not going to leave this spot without getting reservation,” Jarange warned, mentioning that more and more people would come to Mumbai if the government dragged its feet. “Ideally, instead of delaying further, the government should initiate dialogue with Marathas,” Jarange added.
The Maratha activist also claimed that the government was misleading the people by claiming that Marathas were seeking reservation at the expense of the existing Other Backward Classes quota. “This is not the case, Maratha are asking for their rights — reservation that belongs to the community.”
